Question : SETTING UP OF A COMMON INTERNATIONAL GATEWAYS

(a) whether the Government have mooted a proposal to set up a common international gateways in India that could connect all the Asian countries to the global internet;

(b) if so, whether the financial assistance for the project has been sought from the Development Gateway Fund of the World Bank;

(c) whether the proposal is a corollary to the recommendations made by the United Nation`s ICI Task Force for bridging the digital divide; and

(d) if so, the time by which a final decision in this regard is likely to be taken?

MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY(SHRI PRAMOD MAHAJAN)


(a),(b),(c) and (d): World Bank has set up Development Gateway Foundation with objective to focus on bridging the digital divide and promote sustainable development and poverty reduction.

India has become one of the founder members of the Foundation. A Research and Training Center of the Foundation has been proposed to be set up in India in order to achieve the above objective.

The proposed Research and Training Center of the Development Gateway Foundation is expected to become operational by the end of financial year 2002-03.